illusory

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪˈlusəri/ UK /ɪˈluːsəri/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
based on illusion; deceptive or not real

The promised profits proved entirely illusory.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · based on illusion;... deceptiveillusiveunreal imaginary fallacious chimerical

Opposites

real genuine factual tangible

Word family

Forms illusiveillusoriness

Derived forms illusorilyillusoriness

Related forms illusion illusionistillusive

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

illusory promise
an apparent assurance or prospect that is misleading or unlikely to be fulfilled

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Late Latin illusorius ('ironical, deceptive'), from illusor ('mocker'), from illudere ('to mock'), from in- ('at') + ludere ('to play').

illusorius Late Latin ludere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# illusory

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈlusəri/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈluːsəri/

## Meanings
1. based on illusion; deceptive or not real

## Examples
- The promised profits proved entirely illusory.

## Synonyms
- deceptive
- illusive
- unreal
- imaginary
- fallacious
- chimerical

## Antonyms
- real
- genuine
- factual
- tangible

## Derived Forms
- illusorily
- illusoriness

## Related Forms
- illusion
- illusionist
- illusive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: illusorius
- Root: ludere

## Etymology
From Late Latin illusorius ('ironical, deceptive'), from illusor ('mocker'), from illudere ('to mock'), from in- ('at') + ludere ('to play').

## AI Etymology
illusory comes from Late Latin illusorius ('ironical, deceptive'), from illusor ('mocker'), from illudere ('to mock'), from in- ('at') + ludere ('to play'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "based on illusion; deceptive or not real", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as illusion, illusionist, and illusive, and in derivatives such as illusorily and illusoriness. Its semantic neighborhood includes deceptive, illusive, unreal, and imaginary, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Late Latin illusorius and Latin ludere.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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